[Chapter-delegates] Recent Correspondence from the Cambodian Chapter
Tracy F. Hackshaw @ Google
tracyhackshaw at gmail.com
Tue Oct 8 05:51:05 PDT 2013
The suggestion sounds a bit like the ICANN Secretariat/Support model for
several of its ACs and SOs ... not sure if that is actually a good or bad
thing
/t
On Sun, Sep 29, 2013 at 6:04 AM, Christian de Larrinaga
<cdel at firsthand.net>wrote:
> Would it be fair to characterise the main points from this debate as
> Chapters must be independent from ISOC on the one hand and on the other
> Chapters must receive administrative financial funding from ISOC?
>
> I don't see how "direct" funding from ISOC to chapters for such basic
> local organisational requirements satisfies that description.
> There is an English expression "Who pays the piper plays the tune".
>
> What might work is for ISOC to establish a chapter secretariat service
> that allows chapters to outsource some routine basic administrative
> tasks in particular those that relate to their ISOC relationship and
> agenda building.
>
> This could be budgeted and valued in some way to be determined between
> ISOC and chapters. It could also potentially be managed regionally
> although local data protection and security laws would need to be taken
> into account.
>
> It could also be useful to provide access for chapters to a shared
> resource perhaps outsourced for expert marketing, event development and
> fund raising support. This could help build local self sustainability as
> well as guide and develop local skills in these tasks.
>
> Chapters could then be sure they are managing their own agenda and have
> their own administration but benefit from having access to a shared ISOC
> chapter secretariat available to outsource to. Some chapters might be
> sufficiently established that they can manage this basic level of
> administration internally without recourse to the secretariat. Others
> might benefit significantly.
>
>
>
>
> Christian
>
>
> Veni Markovski wrote:
> > Elver, and all,
> > Replace Estonia with Bulgaria , and I can sign it.
> > Isoc-Bulgaria had several projects running at the same time, and we were
> > having paid staff (many here know Julia and Dessi /Dragoslava/), as well
> > as GOOD stuff to achieve, among which:
> > - Creative Commons inBulgarian
> > - changes in the Bulgarian telecom laws to become internet-friendly
> > - contributions to the ITU
> > - participation and reporting from ITU big events
> > - get rid of licenses and regulations of Internet services in the country
> > - using free and open source software for e-government
> > - etc
> >
> > Isoc has contributed a tiny little fraction of our budget, and two years
> > ago, when we most needed support for fighting with the bad stuff at the
> > ITU, 3 chapters - Bulgaria, Poland and Armenia - asked for 7500 $. The
> > request was turned down because "it has been too international"
> > I rest my case.
> >
> >
> > On Sunday, September 29, 2013, Elver Loho wrote:
> >
> > On 27 September 2013 16:05, Victor Ndonnang
> > <ndonnang at nvconsulting.biz <javascript:_e({}, 'cvml',
> > 'ndonnang at nvconsulting.biz');>> wrote:
> >
> > +1 Ted,____
> >
> > __ __
> >
> > I’m following with great attention this discussion initiated by
> > the Cambodian Chapter intention to leave the Internet society
> > Great family which lead to the old debate about ISOC’s direct
> > financial support to Chapters. Before I continue, I would like
> > to clearly express my opposition to that. For me, It is
> > important and better for ISOC HQ to empower Chapters rather than
> > giving them money. Chapters are not “national bureau” of the
> > Internet Society. ISOC Chapters and ISOC Global are partners who
> > share the same vision and the mission. The direct financial
> > support to Chapters for their administrative and running costs
> > will make the Chapters useless, dependent and non-sustainable.
> > If we put in place the systematic direct financial support from
> > ISOC HQ to Chapters, we will see many useless Chapters flourish
> > around the world only to benefit to that direct financial
> > support. ____
> >
> > __ __
> >
> > The belonging to the ISOC great family comes with advantages but
> > also responsibilities. The Internet Society is already
> > supporting and empowering Chapters in many ways:____
> >
> > __- __The community Grants programme gives priority to
> > Chapters projects____
> >
> > __- __The Event funding programme which helps to keep the
> > Chapter active each year____
> >
> > __- __The Web presence support____
> >
> > __- __The travel support ____
> >
> > __- __Capacities Building and Leadership Program____
> >
> > __- __International Handbook for Chapters____
> >
> > __- __Management Tools ____
> >
> > __- __Etc . You can
> >
> > The problem with all of these measures you have enumerated above is
> > that they require someone to actually sit down, type out
> > applications, organize the people, create a structure for them to
> > work in, and so forth. The problem with most NGOs and, I suspect,
> > with most Chapters is NOT that there aren't any sources of funding
> > available. The problem with most NGOs and, I suspect, with most
> > Chapters is that there isn't money to keep even a single person on
> > the payroll whose job it is to get that funding for all the
> > projects. To actually run things and organize.
> >
> > We can have all the meetings we want and we can decide whatever, but
> > at some point someone actually needs to sit down and get things done.
> >
> > This might sound like hyperbole, but steady funding from ISOC HQ to
> > keep one person on the payroll to run things would very likely be
> > *more* valuable than having access to five times more money as
> > community grants or travel support or event funding or whatever.
> > There's a huge amount of money available in all sorts of grants
> > programs all over the world. The problem isn't lack of project-based
> > money. The problem is lack of money for administrative and
> > organizational tasks. You're all talking about lack of funding, but
> > you seem to be missing the most important aspect: the kind of
> > funding that's actually needed.
> >
> > Here in Estonia there's a ton of project-based money available, but
> > almost zero administrative funding. As a result there are NGOs where
> > people apply for funding everywhere and do all sorts of crazy and
> > ineffective and useless projects, which look good on paper, but are
> > a waste of time. Why? Because from each project they can extract the
> > 20% administrative overhead funding. And from that maybe a quarter
> > is used for things that actually need to get done. For things, which
> > are truly important. Which no funding committee really knows about
> > or understands. Essentially of project-based funds 5% is used to do
> > important things while 95% is wasted on ineffective and useless
> > [insert your favorite cussword].
> >
> > Here in Estonia we could get money for doing conferences on
> > internet-related topics. We could get money for publishing. We could
> > get money to do media projects and online education. We might even
> > get money for doing some cool and innovative web service, which
> > nobody will use. Lots of funding available for all of that. And it's
> > all fairly ineffective and the results are hard to measure beyond
> > "we did X". So what is it that really needs to get done? In one
> > word: lobbying. Analysing pending legislation, going to meetings,
> > talking to politicians and civil servants. That's where the problems
> > are, that's where you get actual measurable results. Is there money
> > for this? Nope. Zero. No money whatsoever.
> >
> > So in essence the problems are the following:
> >
> > 1. You are funding the wrong things. If you want the world to change
> > for the better, then ISOC Chapters around the world need to be
> > effective at lobbying their governments to adopt all the fine
> > principles for which we joined ISOC in the first place. If we aren't
> > even capable of that, then why are we even here?
> >
> > 2. You are funding things in the wrong way. There is no shortage
> > whatsoever of project-based funding in the world. The way you get
> > such funding is by keeping someone on the payroll who can get it.
> > That payroll requirement creates a barrier of entry, which most
> > Chapters are unable to get over. So they languish. And nothing gets
> > done. And people get angry and threaten to dissolve their Chapters.
> >
> > We've had this discussion before. The problem is that as Chapter
> > leaders we are working on a voluntary basis (most of us, anyway),
> > and we need to get things done locally and in our workplace and so
> > forth. We are busy and we don't get paid to argue on this mailing
> > list. So if we say that we have a funding problem, then we get a
> > nicely worded reply from the ISOC HQ. And then we complain a bit
> > more, and we get another nicely worded reply from the ISOC HQ. Maybe
> > a meeting happens at the HQ and maybe someone proposes that someone
> > look into it and maybe even a committee is formed, or a working
> > group, where ideas go to silently die. And since we all, as Chapter
> > leaders, have more important things to do, we give up. We understand
> > that it's an uphill battle trying to argue with people who get paid
> > to argue. I've seen it way too many times trying to convince a
> > politician to do the right thing -- he or she gets paid and can run
> > you around in circles all day long while you gotta worry about where
> > your next paycheck comes from.
> >
> > The Cambodian Chapter figured out how to turn the tables. By
> > threatening dissolution of their Chapter, they don't have to fight
> > anymore. Now it's the ISOC HQ that needs to find a solution and
> > needs to do it quickly. Maybe we all need to join the Cambodians out
> > of solidarity. After all, administrative funding is an issue for
> > most of us, if not all.
> >
> >
> > Best,
> > Elver
> > .ee
> >
> >
> >
> > ____
> >
> > __ __
> >
> > Let come back to issue which brings this discussion live: Making
> > ISOC Cambodia Chapter a legal entity in Cambodia. ____
> >
> > I know how It is difficult to establish a non-profit
> > organization in many countries, especially in developing
> > countries. When I started the “re-formation” process of ISOC
> > Cameroon Chapter, I made that goal my N°1 priority and which the
> > help (time and money) of others founding members, we achieved
> > it. We had the choice at that time to legalize the Cameroon
> > Chapter as a NGO or Association. The process to become an NGO
> > was too complicated, so we choice to be registered as an
> > Association (a sort of small NGO). This is very important
> > because Chapters can only be respected locally and interact
> > freely with government, private sector and other groups when
> > they are registered as a legal entity by the local
> > administrative authorities. ____
> >
> > Based on that experience, I suggest to our Cambodia Chapter
> > colleagues to explore all alternatives of legal recognition in
> > their country. Be registered as a NGO is not the only way to
> > become a legal non-profit organization or entity, I hope this is
> > true in Cambodia too. ____
> >
> > __ __
> >
> > When the Chapter is registered as a legal entity (NGO,
> > Association…) in its respective country, it can easily search or
> > apply to local funding opportunities (government grants, big
> > national corporates grants…). The formation an ISOC Chapter is a
> > process and Chapter founding members are aware during the
> > process that ISOC HQ will not be the only source of funding for
> > the Chapter (that’s why there is a mention about “Chapter
> > supporters” in the application form and means of funding the
> > draft By-Laws). Let’s search for others sources of funding and
> > thanks the ISOC HQ for all It is already offering us rather than
> > fighting for something which will make us useless. ____
> >
> > __ __
> >
> > Sorry for the long email. ____
> >
> > Best regards,____
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Best,
> > Veni
> > http://veni.com
> > https://facebook.com/venimarkovski
> > https://twitter.com/veni
> >
> > ***
> > The opinions expressed above are those of
> > the author, not of any organizations,
> > associated with or related to him in
> > any given way.
> > ***
> >
> >
> > == Sent from my phone, so any spelling mistakes are caused by the
> > touchscreen keyboard.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
> > to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
> > Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
> _______________________________________________
> As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
> Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>
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